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Güdel helps keep nuclear decommissioning on track

Güdel linear-motion technology is widely recognised as a robust and reliable solution for some of industry’s most diverse applications, and the Swiss company’s TMF 4 robot track is currently playing an important role in Dorset — helping to decommission the Winfrith Steam Generating Heavy Water Reactor (SGHWR).

Constructed in the 1950s, this was one of the original nine experimental nuclear reactors.

In the summer of 2016, James Fisher Nuclear (JFN) secured a multi-million-pound contract from Magnox (working on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) to remotely segment the SGHWR reactor and handle the resultant waste. Since then, JFN has been working closely with its supply chain to identify the best equipment for this project.

As a result, Coventry-based Güdel Lineartec (UK) Ltd (www.gudel.com) has supplied TMF track that will be used by a Kuka Titan six-axis robot to visit three areas: the reactor chamber, a cleaning area, and an area where operators can interact with the robot.

The robot will use various tools — including a diamond-impregnated saw, chippers and grippers — to undertake the various disassembly tasks. In this application, it will be driven manually under remote control.

JFN engineers will be manufacturing the specialist tooling required for the project and integrating it with the robot and the Güdel track to allow trials to take place in the coming months.